I am looking to feature stores/products/companies that do something “good” – maybe they contribute to a specific cause, or it is a company that does not test on animals, or it is good for the environment, or something like that. That is the goal of this – as well as entertaining you! I like to be entertained too so I will do what I can to make that happen!

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Kayu

I read somewhere the other day that flowers are already
starting to bloom because the weather has been so crazy this year.

Don’t get me wrong, I am enjoying our mild winter and
will take it any year!

And I do enjoy flowers and plants.

But as with everything there are exceptions to this rule.

1) Office jungles with fake plants.

This is the view from my cube - the one on the left is fake.And rest assured there are MANY more!

If I were making this up, I would be considered a very
creative person, but I’m not.

True story.

The ladies in the cubes next to mine have created a
jungle complete with fake flowers.

There are so many plants that people walking past really
do double-takes.

It is pretty
hilarious!

2) Bamboo.

Not the cute bamboo in a pretty little vase with stones.

*Pic from shutterstock.com

I’m okay with that kind.

I’m talking about the bamboo that was in my old yard at
my previous house.

The prior owners to the house behind mine decided to have
a garden with an Asian theme complete with it.

I don’t know what your experience with bamboo is, but I
can assure you that it spreads.

Kayu makes handbags and sunglasses out of “natural,
renewable materials that are produced in a sustainable manner. Our products are
made from bamboo, a fast-growing grass that replenishes itself in just three
years. We also use buntal an abundant type of straw that comes from a palm and
shell that is sustainably sourced. For our Resort 2012 collection we
incorporated wood from the acacia tree, an invasive and fast-growing plant.”

A bamboo artisan in
China, a shell-crafter in Cebu, a T'boli weaver in the Southern Philippines -
our products are handcrafted by artisans using techniques that have been passed
down through the generations, and seek to preserve and promote indigenous craft
and culture.

OUR CONTRIBUTIONS

For every pair of
sunglasses purchased, a donation is made towards funding sight-restoring
surgeries in India. We make our donations through the non-profit Unite For
Sight. To find out more about Unite For Sight, go to www.uniteforsight.org

For every handbag
purchased, a donation is made towards buying backpacks and school supplies for
children in Cambodia. We make our donations through the non-profit Awareness
Cambodia. To find out more about Awareness Cambodia, go to www.awarecam.org”

Jamie Lim is the creator of Kayu and she strives “to keep our core principles of
craftsmanship, ecology and ethics in mind. All of our products are handmade and
feature natural materials. In addition, we remain committed to bettering our
community by donating 2% of each sale towards health care and education in the
developing world.”

The handbags and sunglasses are very cute and would make
great gifts for your sister or best friend or hey even yourself for a new
summer bag!